


The Tale of the Two Dancing Princesses

by Dawnlight6



Category: Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon | Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon
Genre: F/F, Femslash February, Fluff, Romance, Silver Millennium Era
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-04
Updated: 2015-11-26
Packaged: 2018-03-15 23:28:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 18,706
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3465968
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dawnlight6/pseuds/Dawnlight6
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Michiru tells Haruka how they met in the Silver Millennium, since Haruka doesn't remember. Romantic fluff.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Femslash February 2015, HaruMichi prompt #16 Hate at First Sight. Works equally well for prompt #19 Silver Millennium.

It was on one of their world tours that Haruka first asked. Mostly this time the tour was for Haruka's racing, though they'd managed to squeeze in a few joint music concerts as well. The concerts had initially been Michiru's suggestion, eagerly taken up by both their agents. Haruka hadn't been keen on the idea; who'd want to see her play, she wanted to know, when she wasn't even that good, nothing like the professional musician Michiru was. Michiru, on the other hand, knew that people would probably pay far more to see her perform with Haruka than with any orchestra in the world. That wasn't actually what she cared about, but it was how she'd sold the idea to their agents initially. What was important to Michiru was that she loved playing with Haruka more than anyone else, and she never got enough chances.

This was one of the quiet times between apocalypses, and Michiru had every intention of making the most of it. Cities and countries and hotel rooms swirled by in a blur. Often she wasn't quite sure where they were and she suspected that sometimes Haruka didn't know either. Not that it mattered. The important thing was that they were together, that when their colleagues and their fans and the press departed there was always still hours and hours of darkness before them, filled with the glide of skin against skin and Haruka's mouth against hers, kissing her hungrily.

On one such night in an old stone city in Europe filled with crooked streets, both of them loose-limbed and sweaty, lids heavy, lips swollen, blood sated with pleasure; as the snow fell thick and fast outside the window and a fire (regrettably false) crackled in the grate, Haruka whispered a question that Michiru suspected she'd been wondering about for quite some time.

"Michiru," she asked, "do you remember how we first met?"

The bed they were lying in was a massive four poster, the like of which kings and queens might have adorned in ages past. A bed redolent of passionate trysts and clandestine affairs, of love blooming unwarranted amidst a dark tangle of politics and desire. The sheets were a tumbled chaos around them; the smell of sex was still in the air.

Haruka was sprawled with her head resting on Michiru's stomach, looking as carelessly debauched as a courtly lover of times gone by. She glanced up with a flash of eyes and a brush of fingers across Michiru's ribs, and had Michiru not already come several times tonight she almost certainly would have been pinning Haruka to the mattress right about now.

But, since she was most thoroughly content on that front, at least for the moment, she raised an eyebrow teasingly and pretended not to understand the question. "Of course, Haruka. It was only four years ago."

"You know I didn't mean that," Haruka said with a huff of amusement. "I meant before. In the Silver Millennium."

"Why, don't you remember?"

Haruka furrowed her brow. "Not really. I get flashes sometimes but nothing coherent." She propped her chin on Michiru's stomach and looked up at her in that way she knew Michiru couldn't resist. "Which is why I was hoping you'd tell me the story of how we met. You remember, right? You remember everything."

"Ah," said Michiru. "Truthfully, I like how things worked out the second time round better."

"Why?"

"Because the second time round, you were the one running from destiny. But the first time round, it was me."

"Really," said Haruka disbelievingly. "You?"

"I'm afraid so."

"Well then, you _have_ to tell me now. I want to hear all about the winning of this reluctant Neptune."

Michiru's fingers strayed into Haruka's hair, as she thought of that other Uranus and Neptune who had lived and died so long ago. "If you really must," she agreed.

* * *

The first time the Princesses of Neptune and Uranus met, things did not go as well as hoped. They were introduced by one of the Queen's advisors on a minor outpost halfway between their far-flung planets, and Neptune was already predisposed towards being difficult about this because as far as she was concerned she could manage perfectly fine on her own. Her first impressions of Uranus only strengthened her conviction it was not meant to be.

Resplendent in a sea-green gown, Neptune surveyed her supposedly destined partner with faintly raised brows, taking in the tan breeches, the black boots, the white linen shirt, the sword slung low on her hips and her wild, dirty, windswept appearance.

"Whatever have you been doing," she asked the tall blonde princess, "to make you look like that?"

Uranus gave her an open grin, apparently either not reading or ignoring the coolness in Neptune's voice. "Riding the winds. Have you ever tried it? It's amazing! Like flying, only better. See, there are these windstorms that sweep up on my planet and—"

"I have certainly never tried such a thing," Neptune cut her off, flipping her hair over her shoulder. "A lady should be elegant at all times."

A light squall of annoyance passed through Uranus's eyes. "I'm a warrior, not a lady. Why would I want to sit in front of mirrors primping all day?"

"Do you think that is what ladies do?" said Neptune, making herself sound faintly amused.

The Queen's advisor looked on helplessly as the storm darkened in Uranus's eyes. "I can't imagine what else you've been doing. You clearly haven't learnt any manners." She snorted, looking Neptune up and down. "And what's with that dress anyway? Do you _fight_ like that?"

Feeling herself bristle, Neptune replied coldly, "of course not! I wear a sailor uniform as, I'm sure, do you. But when I'm away from the battlefield, I prefer to at least look like a princess. Is that attire of yours really appropriate to your station?"

Uranus widened her stance. "I told you, Neptune. I'm a warrior. I never wear dresses except in the presence of Queen Serenity and I have not the slightest interest in changing anything about myself."

"How stubborn." The way Neptune said it suggested this was not a desirable trait for a princess to have.

Two bright spots of colour appeared on Uranus's cheeks. Angrily, she spat out, "I am starting to think, princess, that you and I might be too ill-matched to work together."

Neptune met Uranus's storms with unnatural calm. "I don't need a partner anyway. I can protect my territory perfectly fine on my own."

A baffled hurt came into Uranus's gaze that Neptune didn't understand. "In that case, I guess I won't hear from you unless there's an emergency. You must enjoy your solitude more than I do. I envy you your peace."

She bowed and passed on, and the two didn't see each other again for several turns of their planets.

* * *

The second time Neptune and Uranus met was as allies in battle. There was a serious incursion on one of their shared borders and when Neptune arrived she found Uranus already there. Uranus barely acknowledged Neptune's presence before diving into the ranks of the enemy and felling them right and left, her sword blazing with a silver-blue sheen that reminded Neptune of her own Deep Aqua Mirror.

She was far more magnificent than Neptune expected, and also far more reckless.

Already she'd gone deep into the ranks of the enemy and was in danger of being swamped. Plunging down, Neptune used her Deep Submerge to clean up the busted monsters Uranus had left in her wake and fought off those who tried pouring into the gap, making sure the sword-wielding senshi had a clear path of retreat should she need one.

Normally, had an ally behaved so carelessly Neptune would have been angry, but she felt curiously protective as she watched Uranus's back, and she couldn't deny it was easier with the two of them. Whether she intended it or not, Uranus was doing a brilliant job of keeping the monsters distracted, making them fall faster to Neptune's stealthy attacks.

Of its own accord, the Deep Aqua Mirror was humming and resonating with the Space Sword, almost like the two were talking in some language of their own, and for a moment Neptune caught a glimpse of…Something. Wild winds and laughter and a fierce, irrepressible spirit.

There was no time to think about what that meant. Despite how quickly they were taking out the monsters, more were still coming. Neptune could barely see her ally's bright blonde hair anymore, and the monsters were piling in behind her too. They'd most definitely lost their line of retreat.

Using her Mirror, Neptune cast a wide silver light over the battlefield and immediately saw what it revealed. A great bloated monster many times larger than all the rest floating high above them and previously concealed.

"Uranus, up there!"

Neptune sent her Deep Submerge crashing towards their still oblivious opponent, and that was when she saw Uranus's World Shaking attack for the very first time. To say she _felt_ it would be more accurate; felt its power building in the pit of her stomach almost as if it was her own attack; felt its furious release in the echoing tremble of her flesh as the great golden ball rocketed into space.

Of their own accord, the two attacks combined into a super-charged ball of energy and spiralled towards the enemy, but too many of the smaller minions threw themselves in front of it so that its power was spent long before it reached the queen.

Now aware of them, the huge monster roared and was immediately surrounded by tight circling ranks, preventing the two senshi from getting close again. Meanwhile, the invaders kept coming, wave upon wave, until Uranus and Neptune were back to back, each knowing that any slip could be their last.

"We need to take out the big one," Uranus grunted as the cutting light from her Sword disintegrated about a dozen monsters.

"If you have any ideas, now would be the time."

"I can get to it," said Uranus confidently. "Draw it out. Can you—"

"Attack it while it's distracted? Of course."

Uranus glanced at her, perhaps surprised at the confidence in her voice. "Thanks, Neptune. I'm counting on you."

In a blur she was gone, moving so fast Neptune could hardly follow her, streaking through the ranks of the enemy like they weren't even there. She made it all the way to the queen, and even from where she was hovering Neptune caught her triumphant, savage grin as she slammed a World Shaking right into its face.

Incensed, the huge monster lunged for Uranus and the chase was on, the smaller spawns knocked aside like skittles as the two went tearing through the emptiness of space.

Neptune was already building her attack, hidden in the shadow of the nearest moon, but a warning tingle in her spine told her that something wasn't right. She burst from her cover and flew to Uranus's side, seeing annoyance flicker briefly through the other senshi's eyes at her defection from the plan.

There was no time to explain. Already Neptune could see smoke pouring from the monster's nostrils, and she barely managed to catch hold of Uranus and throw up a protective wall of water before a fireball came blasting towards them from the belly of the beast.

Uranus's eyes went wide with shock. "That thing breathes _fire?_ " she yelled, barely able to make herself heard over the combined roaring of ocean and flames.

"So it would appear! We need to—"

It seemed like their Talismans already knew. Neptune's Mirror was glowing and almost leaping out of her hand, singing happily at the sight of the Space Sword. As soon as the fire abated, Neptune let the waters fall away and sent the light of her Mirror shivering towards the monster queen. Its body cracked and crazed and finally shattered as it was hit by the golden beam of Uranus's Sword, and luck must have been on their side that day, for killing the queen inactivated most of the spawns and the clean up was easy after that.

Once the battlefield was finally clear, Neptune found herself being scrutinised thoughtfully. "You were impressive," Uranus admitted, easily and frankly admiring.

"Thank you. Our powers do seem to go well together," Neptune allowed.

Despite her calm veneer, Neptune was rather shaken by the fact that they'd never worked together before, never trained together, didn't particularly like each other, and yet had still matched each other perfectly like dancers in sync, finishing off the fight in less than a quarter of the time Neptune knew it would have taken her had she been on her own.

"Maybe." Uranus coughed, looking suddenly awkward. "Maybe we could do this again sometime?"

Something low down in Neptune's stomach tightened strangely. "Fight together?"

Uranus nodded, long-lashed eyelids lowering over dark lustrous eyes.

"It would be—" Neptune had to pause to collect herself. "It would be efficient, I suppose, when occasion calls for it. I must apologise for dismissing you when we first met. Today, with both of us here, our enemies were more quickly vanquished. I'm glad you came."

"You're welcome," said Uranus softly, with a far too attractive smile.

* * *

After that, Uranus and Neptune met infrequently though with some regularity at one incursion or another. Increasingly, Neptune found she was actually looking forward to seeing her, and would sometimes deliberately scour the Mirror looking for battles that would take her close to Uranus's territory. Usually Uranus would show up out of courtesy even if the enemy wasn't of any great strength, and afterwards, Neptune would linger, looking for an excuse to stay until inevitably her planet called her back.

More and more she was living inside a pattern of frustration. One night she wandered through Triton Castle and its halls seemed to echo with the same emptiness in her heart. How had she never noticed before? How had she never noticed the silence? On her balcony she stood gazing at the blue surface of her beloved planet, thinking of how she had a palace down there, and a court, and people to protect and of course the sweet-smelling oceans that surged to her will. But up here she was alone, always alone. Even though she protected the world, she could never really be a part of it, and she wondered why that hurt now when it never had before. She found herself looking up into the vast sky of space and picking out the small pinpoint of light she knew to be Uranus, shining brightly in the dark.

The Moon and its Kingdom were invisible from here, lost in the unimaginable distance that separated Neptune from the things she fought for in her heart.

* * *

The next time Neptune saw Uranus, it was by chance, and thankfully, given the situation, Uranus didn't see her. There was a party on Eris, and Neptune was invited to it as she was to everything of note that happened in the outer solar system, but unusually this time, she actually went.

Things had been quiet for years and the thoughts continually bearing down on her were becoming a weight more burdensome than her destiny and – and one party wasn't going to hurt anything or make her less of a soldier and it might serve to distract her, for a little while.

Unfortunately, the party turned out to be more tiresome than distracting and soon enough Neptune wandered away into the palace gardens, half thinking of using the power of her Mirror to just take her straight home.

A maze reared up before her, ill-kept and overgrown (really, what was anyone thinking to let it get into this state) but at least it was obviously disused and would provide good cover in which to hide until Neptune could extricate herself with at least a minimum of social decorum intact. She was really only supposed to use the Mirror for her missions, and though she did want to escape from this horrible party, she also didn't want to squander her powers on something so petty.

So she entered the maze and let it draw her as far as it wanted until she turned a corner and suddenly there was _Uranus_ , pressed against some other girl and kissing her deeply, jaw working in a way that very much suggested Uranus's tongue was currently in the other girl's mouth.

Luckily they were so wrapped up in each other they didn't even hear Neptune's smothered gasp and before they could notice she was there Neptune backed away silently and retraced her steps out of the stupid maze and used the Mirror to take herself home after all.

Back at Triton Castle she fumed and paced and wanted to throw things at the wall just to hear them shatter. The sight she'd seen was burned into her brain as clearly as any of her visions; that girl's hands on Uranus's hips, fingers clenched white with how tightly she was holding her, the slight movement of Uranus's thigh rubbing between the other girl's legs as she kissed her.

And the _way_ Uranus looked; the splash of colour spreading across her pale cheeks, the surprisingly long lashes fluttering over her closed eyes, that expression of earnest passion as she concentrated every ounce of restless energy she possessed into the enjoyment of her partner.

Before she knew what she was doing, Neptune had actually painted it, painted Uranus in bright colours of blue and gold kissing some vague shadow of a girl. Uranus probably kissed so many girls anyway it wouldn't have mattered which one Neptune put her with so she left Uranus's partner a blank and afterwards stood looking at the finished picture on its easel with the shimmer of salt burning her eyes.

What Uranus was doing, she told herself, was hardly unheard of, and perfectly socially acceptable throughout the solar system. So why was Neptune so disturbed?

Yes, it was true both she and Uranus and had their duty, and the weight of that was heavy, and it meant they'd never have lots of things others did like friends and family and a sense of belonging to the world they fought so hard to protect. But no one including the Queen would begrudge them taking a lover now and then to ease the ever-present loneliness. Uranus wasn't doing anything wrong in that respect. Neptune herself was often approached with such offers, but they'd never held the slightest bit of interest for her.

Neptune had never needed anything but her mission and the sea. Her music and her art. So why was it starting to feel like such a sterile existence?


	2. Chapter 2

The meeting after that was the one where Uranus saved Neptune's life. They were actually fighting an army of disciplined invaders that time, far more organised and formidable than the usual raggle-taggle monster gangs, and Neptune took a blast of energy directly to the head that just about finished her off.

The last thing she saw before she lost consciousness was Uranus standing over her, fighting the enemy off with fury in her eyes and screaming death and damnation on anyone who dared to touch Neptune again.

* * *

Neptune came to in the quiet of a strange bedroom with a pounding head that felt about six times its normal size and the world still spinning slightly out of control. The walls of this peculiar room rose high above her, ending in pointed spirals that held up no roof but the vastness of the velvet black sky gleaming with stars.

More strange still was the unfamiliar warmth at her side. Turning her head even a little sent lightning bolts of pain shooting through her skull and regretting her hasty action, Neptune groaned.

The warmth at her side stirred. "Neptune?" said a familiar husky voice.

Uranus was actually half on top of her, with both an arm and a leg slung protectively over Neptune's body. She saved Neptune from having to move again by raising herself slightly and looking down at her with a worried expression that seemed like it might have been carved onto her face for days.

"Your bedroom?" Neptune asked weakly.

"Miranda was closer," said Uranus, nodding slightly. "I had to get you out of there as soon as possible."

"But the invasion…"

"Don't worry. Pluto showed up to help me and we took care of it."

Pluto. Their mysterious and rarely seen ally. Things must have been bad if she was called to battle.

"I'm sorry Uranus. I screwed up." The admission was a shamed, trembling whisper. "Thank you for covering. For taking care of things." _Taking care of me_ , was what she meant.

For some reason, Neptune expected Uranus to gloat. Instead, Uranus gave her a warm smile and her eyes lit up with happiness, like pleasing Neptune was all she wanted to do the rest of her days.

"You're welcome," she said, snuggling back down into bed.

Neptune drifted back off to sleep thinking that the princess of Uranus was a very peculiar rescuer.

* * *

When Neptune next awoke she felt more coherent. Her head still ached but she could move if she was careful and most of the fog in her mind had cleared. Currently, she was alone in the vast shadowy bedroom and there appeared to be no convenient communication devices nearby.

That was strange, and a little unnerving. Did her people even know what had happened to her? Why had Uranus brought her here at all? Neptune had obviously been badly wounded in the battle, and instead of taking her back to her planet or Triton Castle or even to a healer, Uranus had effectively spirited her away to her own personal bed and apparently spent the time sleeping with her far away from the eyes of the world.

The more Neptune's faculties returned, the more she realised just how…Well, bonkers, that seemed. She decided she'd better get out of bed and try to at least find a way to contact someone back on her planet, and got as far as sitting up before her exhausted limbs decided not to obey her anymore. Really nothing was going her way lately, and somehow, she was sure, it was all Uranus's fault.

There were two doors in the room, Neptune noticed, an arched double door that she presumed led to the rest of the castle and a smaller single door that perhaps led to an adjoining room – maybe some kind of dressing room, since this room, despite its size, contained almost nothing but the bed.

As she was considering her next move, and attempting to summon up the energy to try rising again, one half of the arched doorway cracked open enough to admit Uranus, along with a laden tray held precariously against her hip.

Looking pleased when she saw that Neptune was awake, she shut the door behind her (barely giving Neptune the chance to see what lay beyond) and padded over to the bed.

"I brought you some food," she said, placing the tray down on top of the covers. "A selection of Uranian delicacies. It's really about time you started eating again."

At the sight and smell of the food, Neptune found her stomach rumbling embarrassingly.

Uranus raised an eyebrow. "I thought ladies were supposed to be elegant at all times?" she teased.

Neptune leaned back against her pillows. "This is about as much elegance as I can manage right now," she said weakly.

Uranus busied herself pouring out some kind of dark, syrupy steaming drink into two tiny porcelain cups. "Don't worry. You still look beautiful." Her eyes were warm as she handed one of the cups to Neptune. Neptune couldn't figure out if she was still teasing or not.

"Uranus…"

"Mmm?" Uranus tossed back the syrupy drink in one mouthful. "You really should try this. But be careful – it's strong. That's the best way to have it, though."

Neptune picked up her cup and wrinkled her nose at the bitter smell.

"What is it made from?" she asked dubiously.

"Beans."

"Beans?"

"Trust me," said Uranus, blinking in a way that was endearing but somehow deeply worrying, activating as it did every suspicious bone in Neptune's body.

Cautiously, Neptune took a sip of the beverage, and started to cough as the hot, bitter liquid burned all the way down.

"It's horrible!" she gasped, hurriedly placing it back on the tray.

Uranus looked incredibly hurt. "It's the most popular beverage on my planet! _Everyone_ drinks it."

"All I can say is – that explains a lot," said Neptune dryly.

"Neptune!"

Seeing that Uranus was about to launch into a long and passionate lecture extolling the virtues of the horrible bitter beverage, Neptune quickly held up a pleading hand.

"Uranus, tell me about it later. We have more important things to discuss. Like, do my people know that I'm here? Not that I'm not grateful for the rescue, but I really should be getting in contact with my planet and my advisers. Is there any way I could do that?"

"Of course."

Uranus got off the bed and disappeared briefly behind the smaller door, returning with a small tablet which she handed to Neptune. "You can use this, any time you like."

Apparently, Neptune learned, her people did indeed know where she was and had left her in Uranus's care since it was far too dangerous to move her in her injured state. Now that she was awake, they offered to come and collect her at once if it was what she wished.

Neptune hesitated. She could feel Uranus watching her from the corner of her eye.

"Thank you, but that won't be necessary. The princess of Uranus has been kind enough to offer me her hospitality for the time being, and I'd prefer to more fully recover before undertaking such a long journey. I'll be sure to stay in regular contact. Goodnight."

Uranus was looking at her with an expression of surprise. Neptune sighed.

"Uranus, I have a favour to ask you. A big one."

"What is it?"

"Could you keep an eye on things around Neptune while I'm like this? I know you have your own duties already, but…I'd be happy to return the favour one day. I'll be in your debt."

"Neptune, I've been doing that anyway. It's not something you need to ask. Things have been quiet anyway, since the last attack. I don't think anyone will be bothering us again for a while."

"Well then, maybe you could tell me about the rest of this food and we'll see if I can find something I actually want to eat?"

Uranus's eyes lit up happily, and she willingly obliged.

* * *

"Am I your latest conquest then?" Neptune whispered later that night.

Uranus stirred sleepily. "What?"

"Uranus, you must realise how strange all of this is. Even if Miranda was the closest safe place to take me, this is a castle. It's huge. You didn't have to put me in your own personal bed."

"True. But it's in this bed that I can best watch over you. How would I explain to the Queen if I let anything happen to you? She'd be furious with me. Also, what do you mean by 'latest conquest?' Who says I have conquests at all?"

"I saw you," Neptune admitted, "on Eris."

Only now, at the tone of Uranus's voice, did Neptune belatedly consider the possibility that actually, the girl hadn't been a conquest; that maybe Uranus wasn't the philanderer she'd automatically supposed. But what other option did that leave? That Uranus and the girl – that the girl and Uranus—

For a while, Uranus was silent. Finally she said, "She's married but I see her occasionally. Sometimes I just don't like being lonely."

Neptune reached out to brush her hand, selfish relief making her overly sympathetic. "How else did you think it was going to be, as an Outer Guardian of the Solar System?"

"Not like this," whispered Uranus, her words pained. "You know, I overheard Queen Serenity and Pluto say something about us once, long before I met you. They said our planets made us to go together. I always thought that meant…There was someone in the world just for me. That's what I imagined. Stupid, huh?"

"I'm sure the Queen and Pluto meant we were made to _fight_ together, Uranus," Neptune insisted, suppressing a shiver as she thought about all the other ways they might fit together.

"And why not other things too? We could ride together, the wind and the waves. Wouldn't you like to try?"

"So you did bring me here to seduce me."

"Trust me Neptune, you'd know if I was trying to seduce you." Uranus sounded amused.

Truthfully that was worrying. Because Neptune was already half-seduced and apparently Uranus wasn't even trying.

She just smelled so good, fresh and wild like the wind; Neptune could feel the warmth of her body and she had the perhaps unfortunate knowledge that Uranus was most definitely a good kisser and probably good at many other things besides.

"Neptune?"

"I always thought I never needed anything but the mission. A partner would just be a distraction, someone to hold me back. I wasn't pleased when I learned I was to have one."

"Do you still feel like that?" Uranus shifted so that she was looking down at Neptune, the seriousness of the question seeming to darken her eyes to cobalt blue.

Neptune answered with a question of her own. "After I fell, why did you protect me? You risked the battle; you risked everything. For me."

Uranus smiled at her and smoothed a few curls away from Neptune's face, her touch surprisingly gentle. "We're a long way from the Moon Kingdom out here, Neptune. If we don't look after each other, who will?"

She held Neptune's gaze for a few moments, then drew back her hand, rolled over and went to sleep.

Neptune turned away from her and tried to still the pounding of her heart.

* * *

Over the next week, Neptune gained strength rapidly. Without saying anything, she kept sharing Uranus's bed, and Uranus certainly didn't seem to mind. It gave Neptune an obscure sense of satisfaction to learn that Uranus had any number of annoying sleeping habits, including mumbling in her sleep and tossing and turning most nights until the covers were in a twisted, helpless mess at the foot of the bed. Even in slumber she was as restless as the wind.

On a more dangerous front, Neptune discovered that Uranus had an unnerving habit of sleeping only in a loose unlaced linen shirt and very short under-drawers, and as the days passed she fought an increasingly desperate battle to pretend that didn't affect her.

One morning – they were having weather by this time since Uranus had turned on the simulator so that Neptune could get a sense of what her planet was like – Neptune awoke as usual to see a bright blue sky above her. Also as usual, Uranus had kicked most of the covers off, and as had also started happening with distressing regularity, just looking at her was enough to bring on the urge in Neptune to draw her.

Uranus had been kind enough to bring her some art supplies, and shifting herself to the chair she'd placed conveniently close to the bed just for this purpose, Neptune picked up her sketchbook and a pencil and began to draw. As often happened, Uranus's shirt in its unlaced state was showing far more of her chest than it was meant to. Neptune felt her fingers itching, her cheeks heating, as she sketched the curve of her breasts and the rosy nipple just peaking out, thoughts flashing through her mind of how it would feel to trace those delicious curves with something other than the point of her pencil.

She hurriedly snapped the sketchbook closed as Uranus began to drift towards wakefulness with a groan. Most of the time, and indeed this morning, waking up seemed to be a long, drawn out process for Uranus, involving several minutes of tossing, turning, groaning and general resistance before she finally opened her eyes.

"Neptune," she muttered, half sitting up and pushing hair out of her eyes. "How do you always manage to wake up so early? You're still an invalid."

Uranus's voice was husky with sleep, sending shivers down Neptune's spine that caused her to make her answer extra prim.

"I went to bed at a reasonable time. What were you doing last night? You were gone for ages."

"Stargazing," said Uranus dreamily.

"And you didn't invite me?"

"I thought you were asleep!"

"Humph. Well, I was. Sort of."

Her eyes falling on the sketchbook, Uranus asked with a grin, "Were you sketching me again?"

"Maybe." Neptune smoothed the cover of her sketchbook, looking down at that rather than at Uranus. "You're a good subject to sketch," she admitted. "Even when you're asleep, there's this energy to you. It's a challenge to capture someone at rest who still exudes so much vitality."

"Will you let me see?"

"It's not finished."

"You say that about every sketch you do. I think you're just putting me off."

"Hey!"

Before Neptune could stop her, Uranus had surged across the bed, reached out an arm and grabbed the sketchbook. Under other circumstances, Neptune's reflexes would have been fast enough to snatch it away in time, or, failing that, she would have at least had the strength to try and wrestle the object back from Uranus's possession.

As it was, however, with her recovery still going slowly, all Neptune managed to do on this occasion was make herself giddy by standing up too quickly. She hastily steadied herself with a hand on the back of the chair as the room rocked around her, irritatingly aware that Uranus _knew_ she was at a distinct disadvantage, and was not above using it against her.

Meanwhile, Uranus had settled herself comfortably back on the bed against several pillows and was browsing Neptune's sketchbook at her leisure.

"You're really talented," said Uranus admiringly.

"Thank you. But since even Queen Serenity herself chooses to display some of my artworks in her Palace, I was in fact already aware of that."

" _Well_." Uranus gave Neptune a toothy grin, her eyes glinting. "I'm not sure how the Queen would feel if she knew you drew things like _this_."

Of course she'd reached the sketch Neptune had just been working on.

With as much dignity as she could muster, Neptune pointed out dryly, "it's _art_ , Uranus. Have you ever been to an art gallery? I can assure you there's more nudity than this."

Uranus actually seemed surprised. "You think of my body as art?"

Neptune allowed her eyes to linger on Uranus's long, lean body, on the curves of her breasts and hips that were more obvious in her current scanty attire than in the clothes she normally wore, senshi uniform aside.

And then, Uranus laughed. Actually _laughed_ at her, making Neptune snap her eyes away quickly. Sharply, she said, "well if you don't want me to see you like that, you should lace up your shirts before you go to bed! What else am I supposed to sketch, being stuck constantly in this room?"

"It's too uncomfortable sleeping like that. Besides, I can show you more of me, if you'd like. I have no objections at all."

Uranus's voice had dropped to a flirtatious husk, and Neptune had a sudden vision of finishing the sketch of Uranus and then making love to her, touching her in all the places her pencil had previously captured on paper.

Her deepening blush betrayed her thoughts, and Uranus smirked and actually started undressing for her.

"Don't!"

The jagged edge to Neptune's voice froze Uranus in the act of taking off her shirt.

"Neptune? What's the matter?"

Neptune found she was shaking, all her previous tingles of desire transformed into a whirring pit of anxiety. What was it that Uranus was offering her here? To be the replacement of the girl on Eris? Something more? Neptune knew herself well enough to know she wouldn't settle for anything less than everything, especially not with Uranus.

But even if that was the deal on the table, Neptune didn't know if she could cope with that. How could she learn to let someone in when she'd spent an eternity building up walls to keep others out?

Uranus let her shirt fall back into place. "I'm sorry. That was out of line. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."

She looked genuinely contrite; perhaps even a little disgusted with herself. Neptune dropped her eyes guiltily. "You're not out of line," she replied quietly. "I'm just…I shouldn't stay here any longer. I should go home."

"Is that really what you want?"

The tone of Uranus's voice said she didn't believe her.

"We just…We can't do this Uranus."

Without looking, Neptune knew that Uranus had storms brewing in her eyes. "Why not?" she demanded.

"Our duty. Our destiny…"

"Don't give me that destiny crap! This isn't about that. You're just afraid."

Neptune finally raised her head. "So what if I am? Is that not a good enough reason for you?"

Frustration furrowing her brow, Uranus said, her voice softening a little, "there's nothing to _be_ afraid of, Neptune. I promise."

She was still sitting on the bed, her face titled up towards Neptune, her expression far too open and appealing. Neptune swallowed, remembering how Uranus had looked when she kissed that other girl, wanting with a depth of desire she didn't even know she had until this moment for Uranus to kiss _her_ like that, cheeks flushed, eyes closed, her hands reaching for Neptune, holding her.

And it was worse because Uranus was offering it to her, everything she wanted.

Tears beaded Neptune's eyes, and with a gasp she grabbed the nearby tablet Uranus had given her days before and fled from the room, calling her advisers from the first empty corridor she stopped in.

Neptune's ambassador on Uranus declared himself ready to receive her at once on the planet's surface if that was what she wished, and that was all the invitation Neptune needed. She left Miranda immediately, ignoring Uranus calling for her, ignoring the outstretched fingers that reached for her just before she disappeared.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took a while! I know a few of you have been waiting for this update.

Uranus stared with some trepidation at the thick tome sitting before her. Many of its pages were already marked with a messy collection of multi-coloured sticky notes. The colours had originally been intended as a system of sorts to differentiate between various subjects covered in the tome, but had soon gotten so complex and muddled as to be almost useless. 

Neptunian courting rituals were devilishly difficult.

Before her last disastrous encounter with Neptune, Uranus had been vaguely aware that Neptunian courtship was less straightforward than on her own world, but until she'd gotten her hands on a copy of the definitive Neptunian courting guide, she'd had no idea of just how elaborate the whole thing was.

Nor how many rules she'd broken by offering herself to Neptune in the way she did. In Neptunian terms, what Uranus had done was an insult worthy of serious social censure. No wonder Neptune had run off and refused to see her since.

Uranus was probably lucky her behaviour hadn't resulted in Neptune drowning her in one of her seawater attacks.

At this point, the sensible thing to do would be to give up, but even though Uranus was renowned for many fine qualities including her bravery and her prowess in battle, being what others considered sensible was rarely high on her priority list.

So she studied the damn tome some more, doing her best to decipher the arcane mysteries of how to properly court a Neptunian Princess, while wondering in the back of her mind how any Neptunians ever managed to get so far as to reproduce.

There seemed to be an etiquette for everything. If one was attending a tea party, offering a slightly larger piece of cake to an eligible single was considered a mark of esteem and favour, though there couldn't be such a size discrepancy that other guests would feel slighted.

In some contexts, flowers were bad, considered to be too crass or the mark of a fickle heart, but in others were held to be one of the purest demonstrations of what was described as "chaste and unwavering fidelity to the high ideals of innocent love."

Uranus mentally crossed flowers off the list altogether.

Embroidering handkerchiefs seemed to be highly thought of but Uranus had no illusion as to her skills in that area, and getting someone else to do it and then presenting it as a gift was more of an insult than presenting a badly embroidered article.

What Uranus needed was something worthy of the sea princess of an ocean planet. Something that would show Neptune that what Uranus desired was more than a brief merging of flesh.

And that was when she finally stumbled across the chapter about the pearls.

Ancient, legendary pearls so rare they were thought to no longer exist. The purest pearls in the sea, harvested from the deepest ocean and guarded by the blue sea dragon in his underwater lair.

The custom had once been for suitors to present such pearls to the heir of Neptune as a sincere pledge of love and declaration of desire to make vows, but that had been so long ago it even preceded the era during which Neptune and Uranus had awoken to protect their respective planets.

No such pearls were known to be in existence anywhere in the Moon Kingdom.

No one else would be able to offer Neptune a gift that could even compare.

Uranus squinted at the illustration of the sea dragon that accompanied the text about the pearls. Great. It had a lot of very sharp teeth.

* * *

The upcoming Ball on the Moon posed a serious problem; namely, Neptune would have to see Uranus again. Several months had passed since the incident in Uranus's bedroom, during which time Neptune had refused all contact with her for fear of what madness her heart might lead her into should she catch sight again of those expressive eyes half-hiding behind pale strands of windswept hair.

Neptune dreamed of Uranus sometimes – sweaty, maddening dreams, but even that was not the problem. Or rather, it was a problem, but only really a symptom of the main problem, which was that Neptune was finding it increasingly difficult to imagine any future for herself she wanted that didn't have Uranus in it in some mighty significant way.

And that…

That was terrifying.

Ever since her birth, Neptune had understood implicitly that her duty was a difficult and lonely one. It required the development of a personality and outlook that many never would have had the courage to pursue. It required self-reliance, self-knowledge; operating with the constant awareness that if things went wrong, no one was coming to save her. It required pushing herself constantly in all endeavours because that ability, that strength of will and refusal to give up, could one day be the difference between life and death.

It required being hard; cultivating toughness and thinking little, if at all, of how much further she drifted from the rest of the world with every victory, every new legend that followed in her wake.

There was little room for love, in a life like that.

And yet that was exactly what Neptune's wayward heart was insisting upon with Uranus. But how would it work? How could Neptune at once keep all those barriers up she needed to fight, whilst opening her heart entirely to her partner, laying herself bare, coming to know another, gentler kind of existence where she could sleep secure in the warm circle of Uranus's arms?

What if she opened herself to love, and found she could no longer be a soldier?

Avoiding the Ball would have been the best course of action, but that would have created too much talk, and most of it wouldn't be about Neptune's rumoured sojourn in Uranus's bed. No, what people would actually say was that Neptune and the Queen must be on bad terms if Neptune wasn't at the Ball, and Neptune certainly couldn't afford to have things like that spread.

To make matters worse, this Ball was to be a Night Without Consequence, an event which had never held the least bit of interest for Neptune before, aside from being a welcome opportunity to go to bed early and catch up on sleep.

She didn't admit to herself that she dressed with extra care as she prepared for the Ball in her guest room, nor that she was looking for anyone in particular as she stalked the packed ballroom of the Palace, brushing aside acquaintances and admirers alike.

So intent was she on her non-search that she jumped to find Venus beside her, resplendent and glowing in the reflected energy of so many unbridled hearts.

"Neptune; how are you? I hope that you are fully recovered from your injury?"

"It wasn't bad," said Neptune shortly. "I am fine, thank you."

Venus gave her a knowing glance. "Not bad? That's not what I heard. _I_ heard that you were out of it for days, and that Uranus swept you away from the battlefield and confined you in her castle and wouldn't let anyone near you."

"That's not quite how it went."

"Hmm. Then perhaps it won't interest you to know that Uranus currently has no lover?"

Neptune gave Venus a sharp look. "Why would I care about that?"

As if Neptune hadn't spoken, Venus continued, "She did have an…Understanding with a married lady for a time, but it has apparently been amicably dissolved by mutual agreement. Not long after you turned up on Neptune to finish your convalescence. A curious coincidence, no?"

"Venus, how in the name of the Moon do you know all this?"

Venus airily waved a hand. "Oh, I have my ways. But you can be sure Uranus will have quite a few admirers tonight hoping to win her affections." She gave Neptune an annoying, nearly arrogant, smile. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a fiery priestess to woo."

After Venus swept away, Neptune grabbed the nearest drink and escaped into the gardens.

Admittedly, this strategy had not worked well for her the last time she'd tried it, however she reasoned that as long as she avoided any mazes she should be reasonably safe. A swig or two from her glass steadied her enough that she could almost start to appreciate being here, having the rare opportunity to see the sparkling crystal heart of the kingdom she protected.

But even now it was easier for her to watch from a distance, only able to fully appreciate how much this world meant to her when she stood apart from it, when she saw the gap that existed between what the citizens of the Moon lived and what she herself did, and knew that their more gentle existence could not survive without her own severity.

"Depriving the Ball of your beautiful presence, Neptune?"  
  
Silent and stealthy as the wind Uranus arrived. Her voice was playful but not mocking, and Neptune's heart leapt just a little at having her so near again, finally, after a stretch of months that in hindsight seemed even more bleak and lonely now that Uranus was here again.

Without waiting for an invitation, Uranus sat down next to Neptune with a sidelong grin and a toss of her blonde hair. She'd chosen to wear her planet's military uniform, at least a more elaborate version of it that denoted her status as the princess of her planet and the technical leader of the troops of Uranus, though in practice the senshi only very rarely fought with their civilian forces.

"I thought you said you wore dresses when in the presence of Queen Serenity?"

With a soft laugh, Uranus crossed her legs and leaned her weight back on her arms, tilting her head up towards the glittering palace. "I got here yesterday and completed my dress-wearing duties then. Once a year is about all I can manage. Sorry if I'm not up to your standards."

"No," said Neptune quickly. "You look…Handsome."

Neptune coloured as Uranus looked at her with a hint of surprise, and quickly broke eye contact, her heart hammering as she continued to feel Uranus's thoughtful gaze assessing her.

There was the soft lilt of a gentle breeze in her reply. "Thank you, Neptune. I'd say you look beautiful again but that's already obvious, and I'm sure many have already complimented you there far more elegantly than I could. But I'm glad to see you looking strong."

"Strong?"

It was an observation that threw Neptune off balance. Indeed, she realised that subconsciously, she'd been expecting Uranus to be awed by her looks – Neptune could do perfection in a way that few could, and she'd put more effort than usual into it tonight. But after the fact, she knew it wouldn't have impressed her if Uranus had merely complimented her on the success of her artifice.

Anyone could do that.

With a seemingly natural ability, Uranus had seen deeper, into the warrior's fire that burned in Neptune's heart, and whether it was intended or not, her words dragged Neptune just a fraction closer to that terrifying line beyond which she knew nothing except that she'd never want to stop touching Uranus again.

"You're forgetting," said Uranus, "the last time I saw you, you were still recovering from a grievous injury. It's good to see that you are well."

"Uranus, about that…"

"No, Neptune, it's…I was out of line. With everything. I don't blame you for not wanting to have anything to do with me these last few months."

Again Neptune was caught off guard. This Uranus was not flirtatious, not outrageously forward, as Neptune had assumed was an indelible part of her personality. She was treading gently, carefully, seeming to check with almost every glance if Neptune was still with her.

She smiled at Neptune's bemusement, and looked back again towards the palace. "It's beautiful, isn't it? The Moon? We don't get to see it much living where we do."

Neptune too looked up at the palace with an ache in her heart, though it probably had more to do with the nearness of the solider beside her than the beauty of the palace. She answered without really being sure of what she was trying to say, yet somehow sure that Uranus would understand her. "The Moon shines with the light of hope and laughter, and I am glad to have devoted myself to its service. I'm glad to be able to see the beauty we protect. But when I'm here, I'm reminded…That where I belong, is in the Outer Solar System."

"There," said Uranus dreamily, "the sky is so vast I could fly forever and never reach the end of it."

Echoing her, Neptune added, "there are oceans so deep I could dive and never reach the bottom."

Uranus made a sound of amusement. "Perhaps we're too wild, you and I, for all this. Perhaps even though it hurts, we belong out there in the outer reaches of the Empire, where there is nothing to constrain us, nothing to stop us from reaching towards the very limits of our powers…"

Her voice sunk away. Neptune was surging to the wildness in her, surging like the sea in the high storm winds of the winter.

There were the distant strains of a melody drifting out from the palace, too perfect and precise for Neptune's taste, music devoid of emotion, meant for dancing formal steps that were the expression of social ritual rather than intimacy.

With a smile tugging at the edges of her lips, she rose and held out her hand. "Uranus, would you like to dance?"

"What?"

"I assume you can?"

"But you want to dance…This?" The distaste in Uranus's tone clearly expressed her opinion of the music.

"We don't have to follow the rules. We can dance whatever steps we please."

Now Uranus looked like she'd been thrown off balance, as had been Neptune's partial intent. She was determined not to be the only one continually having to reassess tonight.

"That's…Not the answer I thought you'd give."

"Maybe there's a side to me that is less proper than you thought," Neptune teased, as Uranus's fingers brushed caressingly over her outstretched palm.

She closed her hand, pulled Uranus up and they danced, abandoning without regret the lessons of a court too small to hold them. Their steps transformed the music into freedom, and it was like a sweeter, more innocent echo of what Neptune had felt the first time she fought alongside Uranus in battle. They matched each other perfectly, moving with effortless grace, and the smile that pulled at Uranus's lips might have been conceited if it wasn't so tender.

Uranus's body was softer than Neptune expected; she found she was clinging to the silk of her shirt to stop her hands from wandering, from exploring that expanse of smooth skin and yielding curves so temptingly within reach.

She felt Uranus's ribs expand against her own chest as she gave a strange kind of sigh, strands of hair falling into her eyes as she looked down at Neptune with an expression straying dangerously close to that line Neptune was still telling herself they weren't going to cross.

"You're always so untidy!" she griped, tucking the stray strands back behind Uranus's ear. "Even your hair—"

Laughter rumbled in Uranus's chest. "I think you've lost the right to lecture me when you're playing hooky from the Queen's Ball and dancing made up steps to the music for traditional court dances."

Her eyes were light and carefree; the loneliness Neptune could remember always lurking in their depths banished in the magic of the dance. And in that moment, Neptune wanted more than anything to see Uranus looking like this forever. Warm. Happy. In love. In love with her.

Neptune gave a shuddering breath and her feet stumbled to a halt. She remembered what Uranus had said the last time they'd been in a situation like this; that there was nothing to be afraid of. With her blood roaring out of control in her ears, with her skin crackling like lightning in response to every slight move Uranus made, she could almost believe it, and there was the line, the line, but even if a thousand years went by she didn't want to lose the look Uranus was giving her now, and no matter how persistent Uranus might be, there were only so many times Neptune could reject her before it disappeared forever.

"Neptune?" Following her movements, Uranus also stilled, worry clouding over her happiness as she anxiously examined Neptune's face. "What's the matter?"

"Nothing," Neptune said, and pulled Uranus down and kissed her.

Uranus's mouth froze on hers in surprise for a moment, then she made a soft noise in her throat and pulled Neptune closer, one hand tight about her waist, the other reaching up to cradle her cheek.

It had to be admitted that Neptune's experience in situations such as these was limited at best, but she hadn't expected Uranus to be this gentle; not after what she'd inadvertently witnessed on Eris, and seen on Miranda. If she'd had to guess, she would have said that Uranus as a lover would be full of passion but lacking in finesse, not capable of moving at anything less than her usual cyclone speed.

But Uranus was only just pressing Neptune's lips, not trying to deepen the kiss, not seeming to be in any hurry at all. Her thumb swept over Neptune's cheekbone in a tender caress at once exploratory and questioning – She was waiting, Neptune realised; she was asking what Neptune wanted and waiting for her.

Neptune made a sound she hadn't even known she was capable of making and kissed Uranus harder, deeper, holding her closer as stars ignited and exploded inside her.

It was Uranus who pulled back then, the expression in her eyes somewhere between shock and surprise. "Neptune…" The rough edge to her voice, undoubtedly caused by Neptune herself, only made Neptune's desire burn even brighter. "What? I thought royal Neptunians…Didn't do this sort of thing?"

"We don't kiss?" Neptune whispered, her words falling of their own accord into a low cadence of seduction.

Uranus made a visible effort to gather her scattered thoughts. "Isn't this sort of progression breaking about a million rules of Neptunian etiquette?"

"Do you think I care, Uranus? More to the point – when did you take the time to learn anything about Neptunian etiquette?"

"After the last time, when things didn't go so well." Uranus gave her a crooked smile. "Obviously."

Neptune kissed her again. "Things," she promised, "will go better tonight."

"Tonight?"

"Isn't that what this whole Ball is for?"

"And that's what you want with me?" Uranus asked, her eyes no longer filled with that happiness Neptune so longed to see. "A night without consequence?"

"Who exactly is going to check that all the participants are following the rules, Uranus? What business is it of theirs anyway? Who cares what two soldiers do with each other on the outer rim of the solar system?"

Drawing back, Uranus grew quiet, only the flash of intensity in her eyes betraying her emotion. "I care, Neptune. I care very much about what exactly it is we're entering into here, and how we mean to go on. Last time, I think you misunderstood what I was offering. My people are quite straightforward when it comes to matters of attraction, and matters of the heart. We don't tend to make these things complicated.

"Something about living in the desert…It strips away all the frivolities, and only leaves what matters. Honesty. Loyalty. Love. When we want to be with someone, the presence of those feelings is so deeply understood we rarely feel the need to articulate them. Maybe to outsiders that makes us look cold or crass, but amongst ourselves, we understand. And that morning, what I was offering you was me. All of me. Everything. Not just—"

"I know that, Uranus," Neptune said, letting out a breath. "I already knew that before I ran away."

"Then why?"

Neptune couldn't keep looking at her. She dropped her gaze and admitted in a shamed voice, "I need to know that loving you won't make me weak."

"Love isn't weakness, it's strength. It's what powers our whole kingdom."

It was inconceivable to Neptune how Uranus could speak with so much certainty. Was that the desert talking? Perhaps beneath a harsh sun there could be no room for doubt or ambiguity, nothing like the shifting currents in the ocean where change was the only constant.

Still holding onto Uranus's hands, she said, "and yet, even now, here you and I are, watching, setting ourselves apart. There's a contradiction in our makeup, Uranus – love makes us want to fight, but fighting in the way that we do, means that we can never live in the world we protect. Sometimes I think…the love it takes to carry out our mission…Is the only kind we have room for."

"You're wrong," Uranus whispered. "We may have been birthed into a wilder destiny; we may set ourselves apart because the skies and the seas here are too tame for us. But fighting isn't all we were made for. Otherwise, I wouldn't be feeling like this. My heart wouldn't be beating so fast. My arms wouldn't want to reach out and hold you."

She seemed to hesitate for a moment, before raising one of her hands to caress Neptune's face, leaning down to breathe into her ear, an unsteady tremble in her voice, "my body wouldn't be filled with desire for you."

Blunt and obvious, but so very sincere. This was more like the Uranus Neptune remembered from last time, and this time round she was even more difficult to resist. Because Neptune knew now she wanted Uranus, and she wanted Uranus to want her back just as much, and having that admission given to her, so openly and willingly, as if it was the simple answer to all Neptune's existential struggles, was enough to make nearly everything exit her brain except a fast overwhelming need to know exactly _how_ Uranus would feel, pressed up against her, skin to skin, limbs straining as she gasped Neptune's name…

Her words almost frantic, her freed hand tangled into the short hairs on the nape of Uranus's neck, Neptune murmured, "I want you too, Uranus. I want everything you're offering. But I can't take it. Not yet. I can't be sure that quickly. That's why I'm asking…just for one night…"

"Neptune, haven't you been listening? Having just one night with you would be impossible for me. And I think it would be impossible for you too."

"Then if that turns out to be the case, we can go on…"

Looking like it nearly caused her physical pain, Uranus forced herself away from Neptune's arms. Her lips were swollen, her colour was high. Her clothes were less than perfect and Neptune's fingers were itching to touch again the wildness of her tangled windswept hair.

They stared at each other like the small gap between them was as wide and lonely as the galaxy.

"Neptune," said Uranus, soft as the gentle night breeze, "I'm sorry, but there's only one way this can work for me. I honestly thought you'd feel the same; in fact I thought you wouldn't accept anything less. That's why I got you this. Maybe I shouldn't have…Or maybe I should. Because I think you're still running, Neptune. You're running from what we could be. You're running from the future. You're running from the changes in your own heart. And as much as I wish I could just go to bed with you now and to hell with tomorrow, it's tomorrow that matters. Because I want to have you in all of my tomorrows, forever."

Something small and round was dropped into Neptune's hand. She knew at once, without even needing to look at it, what it was. In a dry voice that was probably very far from what Uranus expected, she said, "and I'm supposed to be impressed by this? A pearl? A very rare and beautiful pearl?"

Uranus's eyes shot wide open. "Neptune, this is—"

"I know what it is! Rare, legendary, not seen for a thousand years. You probably nearly died ten times over to acquire it. Do you truly think I am so shallow that I would choose a fancy bauble over your life? Did you think your words alone wouldn't be enough for me?"

"I was going by what was in the book! What else was I supposed to do? Until now, you haven't exactly been forthcoming on what you want from me. For months you wouldn't even talk to me. How _could_ my words be enough when you wouldn't even listen?"

Neptune closed her hand around the pearl, her heart mired in misery that was only made worse by knowing it was mostly of her own making. "Then I hope I have made up for that by listening tonight. And I wish I had a clear answer for you, but I don't. I don't know if I could be with you…so completely…and still fight. It would change every parameter that exists in my world. But I wish I could say yes, Uranus. I wish I could."

Her fingertips brushed over Uranus's arm in a lingering touch of apology; Uranus smiled though tears were shining in her eyes.

"Still a warrior's answer? I guess I'd expect nothing less from you, Sailor Neptune." She sighed, looking like she was struggling to keep her expression under control. "You might as well keep the pearl. I have no use for it."

"Uranus, I can't keep it! That would mean—"

Uranus gave a near silent laugh. "But you're not so strict about following etiquette as you pretend, are you? Make up your own meaning for it. Enjoy it. No one might find one again for another thousand years for all we know."

There was a last chaste kiss, hidden in the deepening night shadows, and then, with the longing of unfulfilled dreams clouding the skies in her eyes, Uranus turned and walked away. Neptune was left rolling the pearl in her hand as a cold wind plucked at her dress and lifted her hair to sway like seaweed deep beneath the sea.


	4. Chapter 4

It wasn't long after the Ball that Neptune and Uranus met again. Two enemy ships had the temerity to land on Thalassa, one of Neptune's moons, using the cover of an asteroid storm to sneak down whilst Neptune and her forces were otherwise occupied neutralising the rocks.

As soon as Neptune passed the moon on the way back to the surface of her planet, she knew something was amiss, and the assurances of the sensors that told her all was well didn't fool her for a moment.

She found them with the help of her Mirror. Two battleships sitting cloaked in the shadow of a barren grey mountain filled with a multitude of monstrous troops; they'd found the perfect place to hide, gather intel, and plan an attack.

It was an insolence not to be borne.

Neptune judged she could have probably dispensed with the two ships herself, despite their impressive size, but given that they'd already gotten this far, and that the safety of her planet hung in the balance, she knew she couldn't afford to not call for backup.

Her heart clenched strangely as she tapped her communicator. This would be the first time she and Uranus had spoken since the Ball. "Uranus, this is Neptune. Come in please."

"Uranus here." Uranus's voice was crisp and businesslike, sounding neither surprised nor excited at being contacted.

"Two enemy battleships have landed on one of Neptune's moons in secret. If you are free, I would…Appreciate your assistance."

"Of course."

"Can you tell where I am?"

There was hesitation on the other end of the line. "Sort of. There's something that feels like interference or distortion. Is that from the enemy?"

"Yes. They're using a cloaking device. I could move further away, but I'd prefer to keep them in sight. Do you think you'll be able to find me?"

Uranus appeared beside her, and spoke in a voice just a little too soft. "Always."

Neptune snapped her communicator shut, looking down to hide what was in her eyes.

Not pushing further, Uranus quickly turned to the task at hand. "I don't see anything," she said, scouring the landscape with well-trained eyes.

Neptune gave her the Mirror. "Hold the Mirror up over there and look into it."

"Ah, now I see them. How did they get here?"

"There was an asteroid storm that damaged some of our defensive systems. It seems they used the opportunity to sneak down onto this moon."

"It's very bold." Uranus almost sounded admiring.

"It's very foolish," said Neptune, tone cold. "I won't allow any harm to come to my planet."

Uranus gave her a jaunty salute; Neptune couldn't quite tell if she was mocking or not. "Well Princess, since we are in your territory, I await your orders."

"There's two ships; there's two of us. It shouldn't be hard to work out what to do, Uranus."

"Do you have a preference?"

"Excuse me?"

"Is there one of the ships that you would especially like to pulverise?"

"They're exactly the same!"

"Still, you should probably pick one. We wouldn't both want to leap into battle and attack the same ship."

"The one on the left," said Neptune randomly, voice clipped with irritation. "Now can we do this, please?"

There was a dangerous glint in Uranus's eye as she drew her Space Sword. "Of course, Neptune. Just give the word."

* * *

The ships, of course, were crawling with monsters, and didn't surrender easily. Neptune went through hers deck by deck, systematically destroying everything before her with successive tsunamis. Uranus ran through hers, cutting down enemies left and right with her Sword, moving too fast for anything to catch her.

Punching through the roof and out into the air, Neptune was about to crush what was left of her crippled ship with a wall of water when she had a sudden horrible vision of Uranus dying only seconds from now. It was going to happen as soon as she reached the Bridge; the captain of the ship had ordered his troops down, putting as many of them in Uranus's way as possible to slow her slightly and give him time to set his trap.

When Uranus entered the Bridge, it was going to explode with enough force that she'd be blown apart, scattered in bloody pieces across half the battlefield. Letting her half-formed attack dissipate, not thinking of her own safety, nor even who would take her place if she fell, Neptune immediately flew towards the other ship, but she was too late.

As she reached the doors to the Bridge the fireball was already exploding outwards, the sight of the flames searing her soul with despair. Then a depth of power sparked in Neptune that she never knew she had; all the fury of the sea unleashed within her as Uranus died over and over in her head.

Every monster in the solar system was going to regret this, but first…First Neptune was going to wrestle Uranus's body back from the flames. Even if all that was left of her was charred lumps of flesh she wouldn't leave her here; she wouldn't—

"Neptune!"

A streak of blue light shot past, sweeping her up; amazed and irate and teary with relief, Neptune found herself in Uranus's arms, speeding into the sky far above the burning ship. Uranus landed them safely on a shelf of rock jutting out from the grim grey mountain, and for a few minutes they both watched what was left of the ships, neither saying anything, but both knowing they were waiting in case there were surviving monsters to be dealt with.

The ship Uranus had attacked was now well ablaze thanks to the captain's miscalculated move; it soon collapsed into the second ship and together they exploded, sending chunks of debris flying far and wide. Nothing made it out of the inferno alive.

After a last quick survey of the destruction, Uranus turned to Neptune with a frown. "Neptune? What happened? Why did you come after me?"

"I thought…Something bad had happened."

Neptune clenched her fists. It was the only way she could stop herself from reaching out, from touching Uranus, from assuring herself she was really there. It was rare, but Neptune's premonitions did sometimes go awry, and it figured that Uranus was just the sort of person to defy what was destined, though on this occasion Neptune was fervently glad she had.

"I'm fine," said Uranus, brushing Neptune's shoulder in a comforting gesture. "When the explosion went off, my Sword created a shield that protected me." She glanced at her weapon speculatively. "I actually didn't know it could do that."

"You're too reckless," said Neptune, the words sharp.

Uranus gave her a cocky smile. "Yeah, but I'm still here and those ships are blown to pieces, so who won?"

"I took out my own ship, and without nearly getting killed in the process," Neptune reminded her.

"You did," agreed Uranus, giving her an appreciative look that turned Neptune's knees weak. "But next time…" Uranus's fingers were still on her shoulder, making Neptune's whole arm tingle. "Just trust that I'll be okay. You could have been hurt yourself in that fire."

Her eyes were suddenly grave, with perhaps even a hint of fear; Neptune found herself reaching up to cover Uranus's hand. "I do trust you, Uranus, but when I have visions like that, they're rarely wrong. Remember the first monster we fought together? I couldn't just…Do nothing."

"I'm your partner, Neptune." Uranus was frowning at Neptune, speaking in a serious voice, as if she thought Neptune might not understand. "No matter what, I won't leave you. You won't be alone again. You don't have to worry about that."

As she continued, the tone of her voice was softening dangerously.

"Uranus," whispered Neptune, glancing up with pain in her eyes, "please don't. I've already told you—"

Their conversation was cut off as Neptune's communicator beeped. Hardly knowing whether she was relieved or annoyed at the interruption she stepped off a ways to answer it, assuring her generals that the enemy was vanquished and that she'd be returning to Neptune soon.

"Sounds like you have to go," said Uranus, regretful.

"I do." Neptune at her smiled without happiness. "Thank you for coming today. Of course I'll be glad to return the favour sometime."

Uranus nodded, a little stiff, only a rapid pulse in her jaw betraying how tense she was. "I'll keep that in mind."

She stepped away from Neptune, preparing to go, and Neptune looked at the still-burning remains of the ships, telling herself to stay silent, to let her go, to not say anything.

"Uranus!"

Uranus stopped immediately at the sound of Neptune's voice, turning back towards her slowly, mingled hope and apprehension flitting across her face. "Neptune?"

Neptune's cheeks were warm. She couldn't believe she was even bringing this up, was absolutely ashamed of herself, could only look at Uranus for a moment before looking away again.

"I heard a rumour about you, saying that you'd taken a new lover. Is that true?"

Looking like she was half-bemused, half-offended, Uranus said shortly, "no."

"Oh." Neptune blinked, wishing Uranus would stop watching her in that knowing way. "I didn't think it sounded likely."

"You're relieved?"

Neptune gave a brittle laugh. "I don't think I have a right to any kind of feeling at all on the matter. Even if you did find someone else Uranus, it's not like…" She trailed off, trying to keep it out of her expression, her voice, just how very much she would mind if something like that happened. Still not looking at Uranus, she said, "after all, you broke up with your other lady friend before you gave me the pearl."

"Really Neptune, don't worry about that," said Uranus softly. "She's already found a new friend to play with."

"Well." Neptune finally met Uranus's eyes. "That's good for her I suppose, but what about you?"

Uranus replied with a deliberate husk in her voice, eyes flashing. "What about _me_? What about _you_ , Neptune? How do you handle it?"

A self-mocking smile twisted Neptune's lips. "I try to stay away from temptation," she said, and disappeared.

* * *

Later that night, Neptune stood on the most isolated of her planet's beaches. The pearl that Uranus had given her was in the palm of her hand, and Neptune rolled it, watching it glint in the moonlight, remembering the sharp fear that had stabbed through her when she'd thought Uranus was going to die.

As a soldier, Neptune had seen her share of death. She'd dealt it out, she'd seen others deal it, she'd seen what it did to those left behind. But until today, she'd never felt what it might mean to suffer a loss from which she might never recover. She'd never felt that kind of fear, a gaping hole opening inside her as she imagined Uranus being taken beyond her reach, her star seed lost in the swirling depths of the Galaxy Cauldron, to be reborn at the careless whim of the universe at a time and a place where Neptune might never find her again.

Previously, Neptune had been afraid that being with Uranus could sap her desire to fight, that she'd lose the sharp edges she needed to do her job and protect the world. Instead, when faced with the prospect of possibly losing her, Neptune had been so overtaken by emotion, by despair and rage, that she forgot every other duty she had and was prepared to give her life to save whatever tiny shred of Uranus she could. While perhaps not exactly the kind of weakness Neptune expected, she couldn't pretend it was any better. If she had been how she was before, she would have put a stop to this at once and brutally carved out those feelings, but she didn't know if she could still be that person.

She wasn't sure she wanted to be.

"I have to," she said. "I can't let this go on. I don't…I don't want these changes."

Drawing in a sharp breath for courage, Neptune raised her arm to cast the pearl into the sea.

Afterwards, a few wretched tears fell as she grappled with her thoughts, and not even the gentle waves lapping at her feet could take the pain away.

* * *

After that, Neptune did her best to resist, she really did. Another six months went by, and the only time she saw Uranus was at a deathly dull meeting full of politics and dignitaries. On that occasion, seeing was just about all Neptune did – Uranus, while not seeming cold or upset, didn't try to speak to Neptune beyond what the meeting called for, and Neptune retreated into the best façade of distant politeness her years of keeping the world at bay afforded her.

Once she caught Uranus watching her, restless desire moving in the depths of her eyes, but she quickly lowered her gaze when she realised Neptune had seen her. It made Neptune feel both happy and guilty that Uranus still wanted her; after all, if Neptune really had decided it could never happen, she shouldn't be wishing Uranus to still want her, she shouldn't be glad to see the emotions Uranus hid so poorly.

On Triton, the silence had never been deeper, the loneliness had never hurt more. No matter how long Neptune painted, how many hours she spent pouring her solitude into compositions that would bring tears to the eyes of every citizen on the far away Moon, nothing worked. Always Uranus haunted her, her power, her beauty, the intensity of her eyes.

Neptune was on the surface of her planet trying to find some solace in the waves when darkness flickered through the depths of her Mirror. It was much closer to Uranus than to her, and it wasn't strong – whoever the enemy was, it was no great power. Uranus would have no difficulty dispatching it on her own.

Fighting alone in the cold with no light but the shimmer of her Sword, no comfort but the death of her foes.

There wasn't any decision Neptune could make here but the one that should have been furthest from her mind.

By the time she arrived, more than half the monsters had already been killed. Uranus acknowledged her with a glance and a nod but like last time betrayed no other emotion, not even surprise. Soon enough, the battle was over. It hadn't been a hard fight at all. Neptune's breath was speeding more at finally seeing Uranus again than it was from the exertion of fighting.

"Uranus," she said, with a soft caress she had no business using, "It's good to finally see you again."

Uranus's eyes widened for a moment before she schooled her expression blank. "It would have been better if you didn't come," she said gruffly. "I didn't need the help anyway."

"I know that. But I…"

Anger flared suddenly in Uranus's voice. "You what, Neptune? You missed me? I thought all you wanted was your duty? If that's how you feel, you don't have the right to show up here making eyes at me with the thinnest pretext imaginable. Who do you think you're fooling? Me? Yourself?"

She looked away, desolation settling on her face as she considered the blackness of space around them going on into infinity. Sadly, she whispered, "it's better if you just go. I'm not going to play this game. Either decide you're strong enough to love me, or strong enough to let me go. I won't be the forbidden thing you deny yourself until you can't any longer."

Uranus was beautiful, her skin sheened with the strength of her own inner light, her hair dusted with stars. There was also a distance in her that was painful for Neptune to behold, only more so because she knew Uranus was doing it deliberately, was purposefully trying to separate herself from this, from her feelings, from Neptune.

Unable to stand it, Neptune grabbed her hand, making Uranus look at her. "Uranus," she choked. "I really did miss you. I thought about you…"

"I know, Neptune." Uranus's expression was tortured. "You think I don't know every time you thought of me? I could feel it."

"You could?" Taken aback, Neptune felt her cheeks heat in embarrassment. Surely that wasn't something Uranus could do before. She wondered with some trepidation just how many thoughts of hers Uranus had felt, and whether it included some of her more…private fantasies.

Uranus gave her a smile that was far too sad. "I guess…The connection between us is growing stronger. But maybe it will fade if we don't feed it." She seemed like she might have added something else, but decided against it. Glancing away again, she said in a flat, defeated voice, "Well, there's nothing else to do here. I'm going home to Miranda."

"Uranus." As Uranus made to move away, Neptune held her hand tighter and grabbed onto her arm for good measure. Neptune was aware her behaviour was going against everything she'd said at the Ball, on Thalassa, but letting go of Uranus again was simply a physical impossibility at this point. It was becoming increasingly difficult for her to ignore that whatever else might or might not have been true in this life, Uranus was, most assuredly, a part of her destiny in some way.

Uranus's eyes were dark, full of need that made Neptune burn. "Neptun—"

She barely finished saying Neptune's name before Neptune was kissing her, devouring her mouth with an utter lack of decorum that probably would have shocked many a proper Neptunian.

Uranus gave a moan that was part surprise and part encouragement, her arms going around Neptune so tightly she was in danger of losing all her breath. She met Neptune's fervour eagerly with her own, tongue sliding against hers in a way that made the heat already simmering in Neptune's belly flare into a hot flush all throughout her body.

Breaking the kiss with a gasp, Neptune pleaded, "take me with you to Miranda. Please."

She met Uranus's searching gaze without hesitation, holding nothing back. Apparently persuaded by whatever she saw, Uranus gave a slight nod and moments later they were in her bedroom, presumably both transported there by Uranus's teleporting ability.

Uranus raised a deceptively casual eyebrow that didn't fool either of them. "You sure?" she asked, hoarse and quiet.

Neptune replied by kissing her again and pulling her down onto the bed.


	5. Chapter 5

It was odd, but by no means unpleasant, to be able to look up and see open space, the glitter of stars and planets piercing the darkness like pinpoints of distant hope. It also hadn't been by any means unpleasant in the flown younger hours of the night to see Uranus above her, framed by that endless sky, looking down at Neptune with a soft smile as she stroked her hands in wonderment over Neptune's skin.

Now, Uranus was sleeping beside her, quietly for once, limbs splayed loosely in evidence of the several satisfying releases they'd shared. Turning onto her side, Neptune watched her, wanting to touch her but holding back for fear it would wake her.

Uranus had admitted earlier that she'd only just come back from a long patrol in a remote part of the system before the monsters attacked; she'd actually offered it half-jokingly as an apology in case of any dissatisfaction on Neptune's part.

Neptune's response had been little more than an incoherent noise. At the time, Uranus's fingers had been between her legs, curiously tracing the shape of her, and Neptune hadn't been able to concentrate on anything but that slow, tortuous progression, unable to decide if she wanted Uranus's fingers higher, right now, working her over the edge, or continuing to build a pleasure in her that was almost too intense to stand.

Fully aware of Neptune's predicament, Uranus had let out a low, delighted laugh and leaned down to kiss her, the warmth of feeling in her eyes too sincere for Neptune to think she was being made fun of.

And then Uranus, lying beneath her, a curiously vulnerable look on her face, her breaths growing ragged as Neptune kissed her way over every bit of her that she pleased. How she'd nudged up into Neptune's mouth, a needy groan escaping her, taut and gorgeous and oh so ready to have Neptune make her come.

Neptune sighed and stroked the silken sheets with her fingers. She wished she could have fallen asleep after all that as easily as Uranus did.

After a few more restless moments, she gave up and got out of bed, helping herself to a royal blue robe lying on a nearby chair. If she'd had her art supplies with her, Neptune probably would have started drawing – Uranus certainly made a tempting enough sight – but bereft of that outlet, she decided to explore her surroundings a little more. She stepped through the small single door that she'd previously speculated opened into some kind of dressing room, and found herself in a room nearly as big again as the bedroom. Part of it did appear to be given over to wardrobe space – there were several large built-ins filled with, as Neptune discovered, all manner of clothes (even a few dresses that must be the ones Uranus reserved for her meetings with Queen Serenity). There was a dressing table with a large mirror and a full length mirror in addition to that – apparently Uranus was not quite as casual about her appearance as she liked to pretend, a revelation which made Neptune give a rather wicked smile. That would certainly be something to tease her with when she got the opportunity. The room also seemed to be something of a rather disorganised study, with a monitor, tablets and printouts, and old-fashioned paper, quill and ink all jostling for space on an overcrowded desk.

Yet another set of doors led out onto a generous balcony. Neptune stepped outside and walked to the balcony's edge, resting her elbows on top of the stone balustrade and looking down at the blue surface of Uranus, so similar to the colour of her own lonely planet. The immensity of what she'd done was beginning to hit her; in hindsight, she wondered if she'd abandoned her convictions too easily, and she also wondered with distracted desperation what else she could have possibly done, when every meeting she'd had with Uranus, few and far between as they were, had only made Neptune want her more.

Neptune drew the robe about herself tighter, not because she was particularly cold, but because it carried Uranus's scent; if she closed her eyes, she could almost imagine she was still in Uranus's arms, being held, being warmed, being loved.

 _I'm a soldier_ , Neptune thought. _I shouldn't feel like this._

But those were useless thoughts, because she demonstrably _did_ feel like this, and no amount of giving herself stern lectures had succeeded in making her feelings less.

"Thinking of running again, Neptune?"

Starting guiltily, Neptune turned. "Uranus!"

Looking rather rumpled in a pair of breeches and one of those unlaced shirts that so used to torment Neptune, Uranus joined Neptune at the edge of the balcony. The tone of her words was playful rather than worried, though her eyes were sober as she examined Neptune's face.

"You _are_ thinking of running."

"No," Neptune denied. "I told you I was sure, and I am. But I'm also…not. I can't really…It's difficult to explain." She let out a shuddery breath, barely able to meet Uranus's eyes. "I'm sorry. You must think me the most indecisive, deceitful—"

Uranus moved closer, putting an arm around her. "I don't think that. I know you meant what you said. Sometimes I suppose you just…can't quite know how something will feel until you've done it." She dipped her head, lips brushing Neptune's ear as she whispered, "So if you decide you want to leave, I'm not going to stop you."

"You're not?" said Neptune, a contrary pang of disappointment hitting her heart.

Uranus's fingers splayed out over Neptune's hip, tugging her further into the curve of her arm. Still in that same husky whisper she continued, "You're hoping that I _will_ stop you, and truthfully I want to, but I'm not going to. Otherwise I'll be doing it forever. You have to decide here and now if you have the strength for this, Neptune. If you want to stay, you're going to have stop yourself from running this time."

Turning further into her, Neptune murmured miserably against her shoulder, "Uranus, I love you."

She thought she caught a hint of surprise in Uranus's reply, as if she wondered why Neptune thought that was even a statement needing to be made. "I know. You told me that just before."

Had she? Neptune rummaged through her recent memories, mortified that she might have forgotten saying something so important, and remembered Uranus being on top of her, inside of her, fingers hooking in just the right place, thumb circling, smoke-blue eyes huge as she rasped unsteadily, "I want to use my mouth on you."

"Next time," Neptune had managed to get out, before flipping them so she was straddling Uranus's hips, pushing Uranus's thumb out of the way to touch herself. "Just – Just keeping doing that with your fingers. That's—"

Uranus had sucked in a desperate breath like she thought it might be her last, eyes going even wider as she watched Neptune, hips bucking up involuntarily as Neptune rode her fingers. Neptune remembered coming, the stimulation of both their hands sending her into a world of white light and honeyed bliss that strung out into long moments of eternity. She'd just floated afterwards, barely aware of Uranus's arms around her, not able to move and not even interested in trying, and that, she recalled hazily, was when the words slipped out, as she'd nuzzled against Uranus and placed a butterfly kiss on the unexpectedly soft skin at the base of her throat.

"Neptune?" said Uranus, sounding worried, "what's made you go so quiet?"

Jerked abruptly out of her recollection, Neptune realised her face was flaming. "N-nothing," she stammered, supremely unconvincing.

Drawing back to look at her sceptically, Uranus took in her blush and raised an eyebrow. "You're embarrassed because of what you said, or because of what we were doing before you said it?"

"Well," deciding it was better to own than to keep up patently false denials, Neptune admitted, "I'd always made it a point of honour _not_ to be interested in anyone. If I did anything at all, and it was never very much, it was always very polite and Neptunian and thoroughly uninteresting. With you, I suppose I just wouldn't have expected I'd do something quite so…decadent."

A smile curled the edge of Uranus's mouth. "You're apologising? Really, don't." Leaning closer, she added in a throaty voice, "you looked stunning. Stunning and incredibly hot. I nearly came just from watching you."

"Uranus, this is not the conversation we're meant to be having!"

"Isn't it?" said Uranus dreamily, her hand sliding from Neptune's hip to caress her stomach, right where a distracting twitch was starting.

"No," said Neptune firmly, stepping away from her arms. "I'm still trying to figure this out."

Uranus ran a hand through her already messy hair, leaving it even more disordered. "Let me ask you something Neptune. Why do you fight?"

"It's our duty, isn't it? It's what we were born to do."

"That's not what you said on the Moon. You talked about love, about wanting to protect things. If it's just duty to you, if you don't really care, why do it at all? No one could make you if you didn't want to. For that matter, if you have no feelings, nothing that matters to you, why keep painting? Why keep playing your violin? Why are people drawn to what you create if it's soulless and empty?"

"Nothing I create is soulless and empty," Neptune retorted, finally stung. She gave Uranus an angry look and only realised too late she was being baited.

Eyes steady and calm, Uranus agreed quietly, "no, of course your creations aren't empty," and tilted her head expectantly, waiting for more.

Thinking of her planet, of the waves, of the deep blue of the night sky, of the delicate, spiralling cities that shone white as a washed shell on the beach, Neptune said, her throat growing tight, "I love Neptune. Of course I do. It's a part of me. I can't separate myself from it. And it's because I've seen so many of the horrors that lurk in the dark that I never want anyone else to have to see them. That's why I fight. I want the light to keep shining. I never want it to go out."

"And you don't think that what I feel for you, what you feel for me, is part of the light that should keep shining? That could make it shine even brighter?" Sorrowfully, Uranus brushed her fingers over Neptune's cheek. "We spend so much time in the dark already, Neptune. Why would you deny yourself this glimmer of happiness?"

"I told you already at the Ball. I'm afraid it will make me weak."

Uranus gave her an incredulous glance. "When I think about you, about having a future with you, I want to fight harder. I want to do everything I can to create, to protect a world where we can be together. You already have things you love, things you fight to protect. Why is this any different?"

When silence answered her, Uranus sighed. "I'm going back to bed." She gave Neptune a lingering kiss, like she feared it might be their last. "If you join me again, I promise I'll keep you warmer than the cold comfort of destiny." Somehow, she managed a tone that was tender and lustful all at once.

She smiled, swept her fingers through Neptune's hair, and disappeared back inside, leaving Neptune alone on the balcony.

Neptune expelled a breath that she refused to believe was anything but annoyance. Uranus was intolerable, she really was. It was impossible to argue productively with someone who was so…Pure. Who saw the world in such uncomplicated terms.

Neptune wasn't convinced it was as simple as Uranus said. Realistically, even if they decided to give this everything they had, they were still Uranus and Neptune, stationed so very far apart. There'd be long absences, nights that would only get more lonely after the rare ones like this, where they could share a bed and fall asleep in each other's arms.

No, there was no way Uranus was going into this with her eyes as open as she thought, and Neptune had a vague, unsettled feeling that even she herself didn't fully understand what the implications of this would be, what effect it was going to have on both their lives.

But if Neptune was really honest, all of this was moot. She'd already made all the choices, she'd already decided what path she was going to take. She couldn't deny that before she'd met Uranus, her life had been easier. She'd never had to question, never had to think about her place in the world. She'd never been pushed out of her comfort zone.

Looking back, that had also been very boring.

Neptune suspected that here, again, just like when she first met Uranus, she was only at the beginning of a much larger process of transformation, and she probably wasn't ready for everything that was coming, but unless she started, she never would be.

A quick check of her Mirror confirmed that all was clear. Neptune smiled, and went back inside.

* * *

For a few moments, Neptune and Uranus just looked at each other across the empty expanse of the bedroom floor. Then Uranus smirked. "I knew that shirt was a good idea."

"It had nothing to do with the shirt, you intolerably vain person!"

Uranus stretched in bed, obviously naked beneath the sheet, and obviously wanting Neptune to know it. "I am not vain," she insisted, grinning as she saw the way Neptune's eyes followed her movements.

Approaching the bed with a pace she forcibly kept to a casual stroll, Neptune snorted. "Two huge mirrors and an entire room devoted to your wardrobe? You are extremely vain, Uranus. And to think, when we first met _you_ accused _me_ of primping in front of mirrors all day!"

"I do not primp. Occasionally I may check my appearance, but that is only fitting for one in my station. As a proper Neptunian Princess you should approve."

"As a proper Neptunian Princess, I do not approve of what you're doing right now."

Finishing another exaggerated stretch, Uranus propped herself up on an elbow, letting the sheet fall just enough that Neptune could see the curve of her bare breasts. "Oh, and what am I doing right now?" she said innocently.

"Something that means you won't be getting any sleep for a while."

Uranus's grin grew wider. "That's fine. My nap was very refreshing. Also." She waved an arm in the direction of the adjoining room. "I'll have you know, that room is my study. I refuse to accept these slanderous accusations of vanity."

Neptune had reached the edge of the bed. The look Uranus was giving her was expectant, even eager; when Neptune slipped out of her stolen robe, Uranus did nothing to hide the way her eyes roved hungrily over her body.

"Are you going to join me?" she asked, a slight tremor deepening her flirtatious tone.

With a smile that started out teasing but ended soft, Neptune got into bed. Uranus moved closer, reaching for her, brashness eclipsed by the emotions spilling into her eyes. She held Neptune tightly, giving in to several hitching breaths, dropping her head to Neptune's shoulder as she whispered almost shyly, "you've decided then?"

Drawing back so she could look at Uranus, tracing her finger over a sharp cheekbone, Neptune said gently, "there was nothing to decide, Uranus. You know you already have my heart."

The happiness that stole across Uranus's face was, Neptune decided, worth more than any amount of heartache she might one day have to endure to pay for the sight. She cuddled closer to Uranus, aroused but content just to lie with her for now, to feel Uranus's lips beginning to drift lightly over the side of her face.

"You're beautiful," she heard Uranus murmur, followed by a tremulous, "I love you."

Her heart near exploding, Neptune turned her head to meet Uranus's lips, the two of them sharing a slow, deep kiss. She was tempted to just let herself be swept away, to let Uranus do what she obviously wanted to, with her fingers, with her tongue, she'd do it however Neptune asked her to.

But…But… _Slanderous accusations of vanity_? Neptune simply couldn't let Uranus get away with that.

"Mmm, but Uranus," she said as they continued to kiss. "The desk…"

"The desk?"

Neptune could tell from her distracted tone that Uranus didn't have the foggiest idea what she was talking about.

"The desk in your so-called 'study'. If that disorganised monstrosity is truly the seat of power in the great nation of Uranus, I'm quite frankly surprised that this entire region of space hasn't descended into chaos long before now."

Since Neptune was still speaking around their kisses, it took Uranus several moments to put together what she'd actually said. When she did, she abruptly stopped everything she was doing, her shoulders shaking until she burst out laughing. Collapsing back onto the bed in her mirth, she looked up at Neptune with dancing eyes.

"So finally the truth comes out. You decided to get with me not because I look ravishing in unlaced shirts, but because the thought of being able to insult me whenever you want was just too good an opportunity to pass up."

"Naturally," said Neptune with a chuckle.

Uranus started laughing again. "You're ridiculous."

Neptune was soon laughing with her. She could never remember feeling this light, this happy, and she was deeply, fervently glad she hadn't made any other choice but this one, that she wasn't pining away somewhere miserably on her own, never having this, never seeing Uranus happy, never seeing her look like this, lying sprawled naked, a couple of pillows behind her head, a come-hither smile curling her lips as she noted Neptune watching her.

"I do have another confession," said Neptune, though it was starting to get a little difficult to think.

"Please. I'm all ears."

"I think I know why you've started being able to feel when I'm thinking about you. You see…" Neptune picked up her Mirror from where she'd placed it on the nearest nightstand when she first came back into the room. "That pearl you gave me. After we fought those monsters on Thalassa, I…I tried to make myself throw it away, but I couldn't. I wanted you close to me. So I had it inset into the base of my Mirror, just below the glass. Every time I look into my Mirror now I can see it."

"You nearly threw my pearl away, but then instead you added it to your Mirror?" said Uranus, incredulous.

"I couldn't turn it into jewellery, Uranus. It would just disappear whenever I had to transform and fight. This way—"

Uranus hastily shook her head. "No, Neptune, I'm not disappointed you put it in your Mirror, that's…" Her eyes were serious for once as she looked at Neptune. "Well, it's much better than throwing it away, obviously, but also far more significant than just turning it into jewellery."

"Mmm, and wasn't that the point?"

Relaxing into a smile, Uranus took Neptune's hand. "Yes," she said. "Absolutely."

"But," Neptune added apologetically, "I didn't realise that as a consequence, you'd start being able to hear some of my thoughts. If you don't like it—"

"Neptune," said Uranus, still with that same solemn expression, "I'm not as thoughtless as you think. I know what we're getting into. I'll be here guarding Uranus, you'll be guarding Neptune, there'll be times—I hope not, but maybe long stretches—Where we can't see each other. If we both…If there was a way we could stay in each other's thoughts, don't you think that would make it easier to bear?"

She paused, tapping a finger against the mattress. "Maybe I could add something to the hilt of my Space Sword. An aquamarine? Do you think that would work?"

"I'll find you one," Neptune promised softly.

The words shook a little because she didn't particularly want to be thinking about this now, how she and Uranus would handle things when they couldn't be like this. That was a hard, sad conversation she wanted to leave until another time; she didn't want it tainting the rest of their night together, the first night they'd never have again.

Neptune didn't say any of that but she didn't have to. Uranus read it all in her eyes with a few quick glances and reassuringly caressed Neptune's arm. "Yeah, it doesn't matter for now," she whispered. "We can worry about it later."

She half sat up to drag Neptune back down with her, and then Neptune was atop Uranus, kissing her, pressing into her, nipping at her neck. Uranus hissed with pleasure, eyes unfocusing as she tipped her head back, hooking one leg around Neptune's waist and using the other as leverage to push herself up, closer, right into Neptune's hips.

Gasping a little at the sensation herself, Neptune ground forward again, slipping a hand between their bodies to touch Uranus, feeling how wet she was.

"Neptune."

Since it was said more as a half-coherent statement than an impassioned cry, Neptune leaned down further, free hand braced close to Uranus's head.

"Uranus?" she asked.

"You never told me why."

"Why what?"

Uranus cracked her eyes open, and something in her look made Neptune still for a moment. The room was suddenly very quiet.

"Why loving me is different to loving your planet or anything else. I asked you on the balcony, and you didn't reply."

"Because—" Neptune stopped, self-reproach twining itself into the desire still coiled tight and low in her abdomen.

"Because?" said Uranus, voice tender, touch gentle as she smoothed one hand down Neptune's back and tangled the other into her curls.

It was a complete turnaround from how she'd been less than a minute ago; these fast-shifting moods were going to take Neptune some getting used to.

"Because," Neptune repeated, looking into Uranus's eyes and pressing just a little closer, "We're soldiers. We suffer losses. Sometimes terrible losses. But you…You turned my world upside down, and now…I think you're fast becoming a loss I couldn't take."

Capturing Uranus's already parted lips, she murmured, "That's why it's different, Uranus. Because when it comes to you, I can't think like a soldier. I don't even want to."

"Neptune." Uranus's voice was deeper this time, rougher, maybe because of Neptune's confession, maybe because Neptune was touching her again, starting up a driving rhythm with her fingers. "I told you already; you don't have to worry about that. I'll always be with you, I promise."

That wasn't a promise Uranus had any business making; whether she'd be able to keep it or not was out of both their hands, but strangely, with Uranus's eyes still locked on hers, holding Neptune, inviting her in, Neptune could actually believe her, she could believe that there was nothing from one end of the solar system to the other that could bring them down.

Uranus's pupils were dilated, her body was tensing. She untangled her hand from Neptune's curls to clench onto her shoulder, arching further into her fingers, disjointed words still rumbling in her chest. "We'll always be bound, Neptune. Nothing can change that. Not even—" A breathless gasp. "Not even the end of the world."

She was coming, jerking and crying out, her eyes still on Neptune's face, and before she'd even finished Neptune was kissing her again, trembling with her own need to come soon. Sensing her want, Uranus broke away and rolled them over in the bed; rested a moment, twitches still passing through her.

"You're right," Neptune whispered, caressing Uranus, giving her time to breathe, "nothing will ever part us, not even the end of the world." She smiled as she drew Uranus closer, feeling Uranus's heart beating against her own, moaning as she felt herself being taken by the slow thrust of her fingers.

Uranus let out a quivering sigh, her lips working down the side of Neptune's throat, uttering a heated, "I can't believe how good you feel," as her mouth went lower, until she was using her tongue and Neptune was flying off into the stars, not able to hold back for long.

They rested afterwards, touching, laughing, talking, learning more about each other, and they still had time; for once the long nights this far out worked in their favour. Neptune told Uranus that soon, Uranus should visit her, should see her planet and her palaces and of course Triton Castle, turning in solitude just like Miranda.

Into her voice, the hand she smoothed over Uranus's thigh, the tantalising half-kiss she placed on Uranus's mouth, Neptune added another offer; another night just like this, in _her_ bed. She didn't quite know what her expression was, but she knew she felt her heart jolt at the thought, not just because of what she and Uranus could do there, but because she'd never even allowed anyone to visit Triton before, much less share her bed.

Uranus perhaps couldn't have known all that exactly, but she knew the significance of Neptune's offer, recognised she was being given something Neptune had never given to anyone else before, and she murmured her assent to the plan with a catch in her breath, her fingers stroking Neptune's cheek.

Neptune's lips unfurled in a quiet, contented smile that was fast becoming Uranus's alone. She shifted closer, encircling Uranus with her arms, feeling Uranus's arms slide around her in return, and the cold, empty space that had always been inside of her slowly filled with the warmth of love she could see shining bright in Uranus's eyes.


	6. Epilogue

"…And so," Michiru finished, "that's how we got together in the Silver Millennium."

By this time, Haruka had shifted her head from Michiru's stomach and found a pillow. Her eyes were half-closed, but Michiru could tell from the way she was breathing, from the flush on her cheeks, that she was far from sleepy.

Glancing up, she said, "Michiru, I'm sorry, but I have difficulty believing that you remember our first night together in quite that much detail."

Cuddling down beside her, Michiru responded, "why? I mean, I'm sure you remember _our_ first night together."

"Well, obviously," said Haruka, exhaling in amusement, "but that wasn't a thousand years ago."

"Then maybe—" Michiru ran her fingers through Haruka's hair and settled her hand on the back of her neck, all flirtatiousness. "I'm just telling you what I want to do for the rest of the night."

"Really," said Haruka, interested and teasing, trailing a couple of fingers over soft flesh to circle a hardening nipple before leaning in for a wet open-mouthed kiss. Michiru tried to pull her closer, but Haruka shifted back, her mind obviously still on Michiru's story.

"Isn't it strange, though, that there isn't a pearl in your Mirror, or an aquamarine on the hilt of the Space Sword? What happened to them?"

"Maybe because we changed, our Talismans did too."

"Hnn. Then in that case, do you think—" Haruka stopped speaking, the memory of old guilt, old pain, stirring in her eyes. "Maybe this time around, I ran from you so much because there was some part of me that remembered, and felt like I'd broken that promise I made you. Maybe that's why—"

"Haruka," whispered Michiru, a finger to her lips, "don't be silly. You broke nothing. Didn't the world end, and aren't we still here? Aren't you still with me?"

She twined their hands together, kissing Haruka softly until there was nothing in her eyes but the present, nothing but happiness and desire.

"Yes," said Haruka, her voice low, perfectly aware of what that husky pitch did to Michiru. "I am still with you." She stole a look as her hand glided down pale skin, her tone gentling even further. "That's one thing I'd never want to change."

With Michiru's urging, Haruka's mouth soon followed the direction of her hand, though not without a muffled snicker as she wickedly whispered, "so you really _did_ want this," teasing and kissing and driving Michiru to distraction.

"I wanted…" Michiru's voice was like a tightly-wound spring. "I wanted you, Haruka."

She felt Haruka caress her thighs, understanding what wasn't said. Her tongue began to circle, insistent, and Michiru lost herself in the feeling, loving this, loving this beautiful present, here with Haruka, having Haruka with her, always, and as the wind rattled the windows and the snow kept falling, the past faded from Michiru's mind, and she let it sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay it's the end, I hope you've all had as much fun as me, and that the lack of updating has been made up for with this mass chapter posting bonanza. Thanks for reading!


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